According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the motorcyclist had run out of gas, and had stopped his motorcycle in the merge area between the westbound lanes of I-20 and I-285 on-ramp. He was struck by a motorist, who then drove off from the scene of the accident. Unfortunately for the motorist, an off-duty trooper was just behind the motorcycle, and gave chase. The driver has been arrested. Unfortunately, the motorcyclist did not make it.

While motorcycle riding comes with a unique set of challenges, motorist negligence and in this case, callousness, don’t make it easier for Atlanta's motorcyclists. These people have little protection from injuries, apart from the helmets they wear. They're at high risk for serious injuries, including multiple body trauma, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and amputations when they are involved in an accident.

Unfortunately for motorcyclists, the odds are not in their favor. In 2009, approximately 5,000 motorcyclists were killed in accidents across the US. Those were the highest numbers since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began recording motorcycle crash fatality data more than three decades ago. The numbers have been climbing steadily over the past 11 years. In fact, motorcycle crash fatalities currently account for roughly 14% of the total number of traffic fatalities in the country.

As an Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer, I know that motorcyclists here face special challenges as they ride through the city's congested streets. Not only are our highways and roads some of the busiest in the country, but Atlanta's motorists have been named in more than one survey, as some of the most aggressive drivers in the US. Aggressive drivers don't bode well for a motorcyclist. In fact, most motorcycle accidents every year in the Atlanta area can be traced to impatient motorists, who simply couldn’t be bothered to yield to a motorcyclist.